Friday, January 4th

Weekend What’s What 1/3-1/6

by staff

It’s the first weekend of the new year, so dust yourself off from your NYE shenanigans, gulp down some ibuprofen (or some hair-of-the-dog) and get ready to celebrate 2013. Make it your New Year’s resolution to partake in the Twin Cities’ bevy of loud, live local music, art up the wazoo and all the dancing you can handle. After all, hibernation is for bears.

xo, l’étoile

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3RD

Raucous Caucus III

@ Bryant-Lake Bowl
810 W Lake St
Minneapolis

7 pm / $12, $10 in advance or with a Fringe button

Hot button issues come together in one raucous evening in a Box Wine Theatre presentation at the Bryant-Lake Bowl. With seven ten-minute plays covering political issues from gay marriage to women’s rights, and to bailouts and bipartisanship, no topic will go untouched. Presenting both right and left leaning views, the Raucous Caucus features both local and nationally-acclaimed playwrights including Stephen Dierkes, Greg Freier, Donna Hoke, David Meyers, Eric Pfeffinger, Adam Sharp and Sean Michael Welch. -Emily Cain

If you haven’t already seen the completely brilliant Cindy Sherman exhibit at the Walker (which arts columnist Nathaniel Smith reviewed earlier for l’étoile), you need to do so immediately. It’s an epic example of an artist at the top of their game creating work that both transcends their chosen genre and reminds us what’s possible when an artist fully commits to their body of work. While Sherman’s inspirations are surely too numerous and complex to easily categorize, the Walker’s deep level of programming gives us a deeper understanding of ways that film has inspired the work of this chameleon photographer. For this screening, the artist has selected the identity-shifting feature Seconds, which follows the transformation of frumpy businessman Arthur Hamilton (John Randolph) into a bohemian painter who suddenly looks like Rock Hudson. It’s an odd and complex film that like Sherman’s photographs explores the masks and identity shifts of everyday life that are as difficult to explain as they are to believe. It’s a great and iconoclastic work that means even more when seen through Sherman’s skewed vision. -Anthony Enright

The third run of the acclaimed Artists in Storefronts project kicks off this weekend. More than 30 artists are participating in animating 20 underused storefronts around the Whittier neighborhood. A highlight is sure to be OUTLET, a performative festival series curated by multidisciplinary artist Jaime Carrera running eight Saturday nights spanning the run of the exhibition. From performance art to modern dance to dance theater to live music, OUTLET will feature the city’s most innovative artists, from local legends to up-and-comers. Also worth a look is an installation by Mary Jane Mansfield, which fills a vacant lot at 26th Street and Stevens Avenue with a “house with no walls” and a picket fence filled with the warm and bright colors of summer. View the image below for a map of the AIS locations. -Jahna Peloquin

Devaney and Hyer — both great alt-country-americana-whatever-you-wanna-call-it singer/songwriters — joined forces on a Rich Mattson-produced LP that, thus far, has not seen the light of day. Tonight the duo will premiere some songs off it, blending their voices in sweet, countrified harmonizing and jangling like there’s no tomorrow. Fans of the genre: I guarantee awesomeness. Openers the Dirty Curls are the Cities’ premier “Naughtybilly” band — McClean is a hilarious songwriter possessed of a legitimately great voice, and the current incarnation of the ‘Curls has some great players and great harmonizers in it. And opener Erik Tasa is himself a folk-tinged solo performer with a rather heartbreaking voice — he’s not damn bad. -Jon Hunt

Orgone is a band/super group of sorts from LA, playing a fresh, heavy and raw take on an old-school sound. The band started out as a five piece with a shared love of funk records and playing their own takes on songs by the Meters, Funkadelic and Booker T and the MGs. They continuted to evolve their sound, adding originals along the way, including influences of west coast soul, New Orleans funk, and Afrobeat to create something all their own. Now they have become a full on live experience that is all about dancing and grooving. Any fan of soul and funk would not want to miss this show. Local funk and soul label Secret Stash will DJ to open the show. -Danielle Morris

If all of the holiday tunes you’ve been hearing have put your eardrums in a tizzy, you may be seeking some comfort food music. The antidote is Johnny Cash. And since he is no longer with us, the second best thing for you is Church of Cash, which call themselves the “Midwest’s best Johnny Cash tribute show.” Church of Cash covers the many eras of the Man in Black, and even has a female lead for all of those trash-talking June Carter Cash duos. The numbingly-named rock outfit Whiskey and Prozac open. -Chloe Nelson

Everybody’s a winner when it comes to Grumpy’s $50 Pyramid — the low-budget version of TV’s $100,000 Pyramid! With celebs competing every week, this is a must-see event that is sure to entertain. Playing this week for the grand prize of $335 will be your favorite local artists: first up is performance artist Jaime Carrera who will be competing against experimental filmmaker, and Carrera’s bandmade in subversive noise band Cock E.S.P. Jason Wade. So skip your boring game night at home and come out to compete for some real cash with the help of Jaime and Jason! -Chelsea Streich

The triptych, a three-paneled image, is one of the pillars of art history and modern-day visual culture. If you need a reminder of the flexibility and impact of the triptych, check out resident artists’ Rule of Thirds at Altered Esthetics (especially if Jan Van Eyck doesn’t remind you of a musty dark room, slide comparisons and whirring projectors). The resident artists, over ten in total, are involved in a slew of media including watercolor, photography and acrylic. They explore the beauty in repetition, the number three, and perhaps the holy experience of the split frame. -Chloe Nelson

Coordinating with the Minnesota Opera’s world premiere of the opera adaptation of Doubt, the Trylon is hosting celebrated Oscar-winning writer John Patrick Shanley with two of his most distinguished film projects. The first is the film version of Doubt, directed by Shanley, featuring a stellar ensemble with Meryl Streep as a hard-nosed nun who becomes obsessed with exposing the sexual (and completely unspoken) transgressions of the new, liberal-minded priest (Philip Seymour Hoffman), with Amy Adams and Viola Davis doing fabulous supporting work in a film about the nature of ambiguity, even when the truth is almost certain. It’s true that Shanley’s work sometimes feels stage-bound, which affords his players to shine with his dialogue in close-up. But while that may be a shortcoming of Doubt, with 1987’s Moonstruck it dazzles, the magical romantic comedy, directed with the steadiest beats by Norman Jewison, feeling like a diamond of originality regarding character and theme, laid out in the most accessible and satisfying manner. Cher and Olympia Dukakis both won Oscars, playing a daughter and mother in an Italian New York neighborhood struggling with the short-comings and hysterical madness of love. Nicolas Cage, in one of the best of Valentine’s Day movie speeches, reminds us how love is bullshit and not perfect, but who gives a damn? “Get in my bed!” Danny Aiello and Vincent Gardenia complete the perfect assembly of hopeless romantics. Shanley himself shows up for a Q&A regarding Doubt on Friday, and will introduce Moonstruck. It’s too bad the Trylon couldn’t include the Shanley screenplay for Michael Crichton’s Congo on the docket, but maybe that’s best reserved for a future edition of Trash Film Debauchery. -Niles Schwartz, The Niles Files

Last month, Leah Rule — longtime Turf Club manager, a co-founder of the St. Paul Music Club, bass player for Mammy Nuns and all-around local music scene booster — succumbed to cancer at the age of 44. In her honor, her friends and local musicians are paying tribute to her with a memorial show. Members of her family will give remembrances, and musicians including Molly Maher, Rich Mattson with Germaine Gemberling, Terry Walsh and Jennifer Markey will play some acoustic tunes. It’s a fitting tribute to an unforgettable mover, shaker and scenemaker of the Twin Cities. To learn more about Leah and the Rules’ forthcoming benefit compilation Rock for the Rules II, check out Andrea Swensson’s piece for the Local Current blog. -Jahna Peloquin

Dust off that leather jacket, rustle up a few safety pins and rough up you tuft, mohawk-style as you prep for an old school reunion of punk featuring some diehard vets. Described as “The Ramones meets The Beach Boys,” 80’s New Hampshire punk band gave us catchy, harmless pop punk hits that reassured Mom that we’d probably only go out and date a “yummy, yummy” pink-haired punk rock girl after listening to rather than pierce our septum or baseball bat car windows. Nestled in right next to Screeching Weasel and Green Day, The Queers were a band who made it onto practically every high school punk’s mixtape line-up. Despite experiencing a number of member changes, the band has continued to perform and produce albums under founder Joe King’s (aka Joe Queer) lead and DIY label Asian Man Records. Tonight, catch the rockers perform their classics — “Stupid Fucking Vegan,” anyone? — plus, witness a live performance from ’90s west coast band the Manges, three-chord Fort Waste punk rockers Flamingo Nosebleed and local ska/rock/Latin group Rocksteady Breakfast. Viva la punk! -Juleana Enright

Old-fucking-fashioned fucking rock and roll, folks — that’s what Black Church Service traffic in, the kind of blues-inflected, fuzz-drenched, danger-filled, shade-wearin’, black-leather-sporting rock ‘n’ roll that doesn’t happen real often anymore. Think: Stooges, MC5, the first wave of New York punk — if that’s your thing, you’ll find something to love here. BNLX are coming off the release of their excellent first full-length (though they released enough EPs to account for almost a double album of stuff) and playing strong, having added drummer David Jarnstrom to the mix. Openers the Shams Band is group of Chicago twangsters who understand their way around a harmonica solo and don’t sound a million miles off from early Wilco (pre-drugs, o’ course). -Jon Hunt

Tonight at the Turf comesa night for fans of late, great local bands Vampire Hands and Daughters of the Sun. Headlining is Nick Koenigs, former frontman for psych-rockers Daughters of the Sun, with his new one-man band Filthy Huns, which, judging by new track “Watch of the Bear” off its just-released tape cassette S/T on LA label Not Not Fun, is taking a darker, more sparse and droning direction, full of lo-fi guitar and loops that DOTS fans nonetheless should be into. (Take a listen over at soundcloud.com.) Also playing is Bennett Johnson of Vampire Hands’ new band Wave Pool along with the charmingly quirky Mr. Hide, psych rock-meets-classic rockers Heavy Deeds — which features former members of Vampire Hands — and Chris Rose of Heavy Deeds’ one-man foray into “futuristic folk-rock,” Robust World. -Jahna Peloquin

“Big Pink: The 8th Annual Tribute to the Last Waltz” with the Belfast Cowboys & Lamont Cranston Band

@ The Cabooze
917 Cedar Ave
Minneapolis

8:30 pm / 18+ / $12

The Belfast Cowboys — normally a Van Morrison tribute band — consist of Terry Walsh, formerly of 2AM, a quite damn legendary pop group from the ’80s, and whoever else is around (including scene vets like Dave Haugen, Joe Baumgart and Vic Volare). They do a damn fine job of capturing Van the Man’s loose, soulful delivery — so it makes total sense that once a year, they expand their purview to include The Last Waltz, the Band’s equally-loose-and-soulful final movie which contains a quite legendary performance by Van the Man. If you haven’t seen it, see it first — then go see these guys rip into the amazing songs therein. They probably won’t show up with cocaine sticking out of their schnozzes like Neil Young did, but you can expect a quite damn fine performance nonetheless, and one that definitely gets at the heart of the songs. (Note, the Belfast Cowboys perform on Friday, with the Lamont Cranston Band performing on Saturday.) -Jon Hunt

It would be a different world if politics could be as inclusive as dance parties. Think about it. Take the issue of “gay marriage,” something that this week’s City Pages covers. In a world where queer rights are defined by marriage, children and property, spaces like Soul Friday are political in radical ways. A dance party that “celebrates brown folks living in the LGBTQ life” (though is open to all), and boasts DJ Shannon Blowtorch at the turntables along with DJ Lady L spinning old-school soul plus modern R&B and hip hop. Soul Friday invites and celebrates the intersections of race and sexuality in a way that evades most politicians — maybe in 2013 political parties will take their cues from dance parties. -Lizzy Shramko

The rowdy rap crew Get Cryphy is back and ready for more this Friday for their regular residency at First Avenue’s Record Room. Prepare to experience the bumpin’ beats of resident DJ darlings Jimmy 2 Times, Plain Ole Bill, Last Word and Fundo as they break it down in the venue’s intimate haven a month before they go all out with a five year bash in the Mainroom. Arrive early to enjoy drink specials and partake in giveaways from Phenom and Familia. -Staff

The crate-digging Disco Devils haul out all their best 12″ vinyl every month to bring you Private Stock, a night of club hits and misses from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, from classic funk, R&B, and hip hop. Catch all the chart toppers, one hit wonders, underground classics and other musical gems culled from deep in the Disco Devils’ vaults. Best of all, it’s all on vinyl, the way music should be heard. -Danielle Morris

Do you have both seasons of Carnivale and the cult classic Freaks permanently stored in your Tivo? Is your full sleeve tattoo an image of a strongman embracing the bearded lady? Well maybe that’s one step beyond, but even if you just really like Big Top Pee Wee this show is for you. The AZ Gallery presents a group show of Minnesota tattooers and friends with the works themed around the odd and weird, circus and sideshows. With a celebration of both tattoo culture and the wild and wooly world of the circus, this show is sure to satisfy your wild side and introduce you to the talents of some of MN’s most impressive inkmasters. Click HERE for Kate Iverson’s Q&A with exhibit organizer Jessie McNally.-Anthony Enright

Undertow explores the elements of nature and personal tales that may be hidden by layers of memory and snow. Perfectly timed to coincide with the hope and mystery of the New Year, the show brings together two abstract Minnesota artists. Rebecca Krinke works primarily with sculpture and installation, while Elaine Rutherford layers multimedia and painting. The show should be thoughtful, delicate, personal and (at times) fantastical. Krinke and Rutherford’s current works weave together diasporas and cultural issues, which should get you thinking of inevitable seasonal, political and personal changes. -Chloe Nelson

PJs plus art equals The Bedtime Story Show! Running now though the end of January, this awesome exhibit will include a gallery of work by over 20 talented artists inspired by sleepytime. Be sure to wear your favorite pajamas opening night and see the 3D wall featuring the art of Minnesota-based celebrity portrait artist Anthony R. Whelihan; view his work here. Stop by, support local artists and buy yourself some unique wall art, all while wearing your comfy footie PJs! -Chelsea Streich

Artists in Storefronts’ transient nature lends itself well to performance art, and this time multidisciplinary artist Jaime Carrera is taking the reigns. Carrera, whose cat photographs were recently featured at Minneapolis dive bar Palmer’s, is the curator of the pop-up performance art spectacular OUTLET. Each week of OUTLET will be different, and performances have included Carrera’s own work with Cock E.S.P., and performers and musicians both emerging and established. This week features the chilly, brit-synth-influenced CLAPS, which recently released its latest, Glory Glory, exclusively on tape cassette — you can just about imagine playing this stuff in your Ford Festiva or something in the mid-’80s — along with the similarly-dark ensemble the Funeral & the Twilight. There will be eight performances total through February; visit the OUTLET Tumblr for the full lineup. –Staff

Called “the only photographer that matters” by Dillinger 4’s Paddy Costello, the 25-year-old Adam DeGross has been shooting the underground punk, death metal, hardcore and crust music scene for the past five years, and as his prolific body of work suggests, Costello knows what he’s talking about. DeGross has shot a laundry list of some of the best-known underground punk acts in the country — Against Me, Bad Brains, Dillinger 4, Dropkick Murphys, Ceremony, the Misfits, False, Bane, Iceage, the list goes on — at various venues throughout the Twin Cities. His raw, high-contrast images harken back to a time of pre-digital rock photography, with all the grit, gore and energy that only 35mm can capture. He’s releasing his first book of images, Pay Attention: MN Subculture Photography this weekend with a fittingly loud ‘n’ heavy release party, complete with a photography exhibit and live sets from False, Frozen Teens, Arms Aloft, Agitate and Ponx Attax plus DJ sets by Costello. It’s your first chance to purchase his book (limited first-edition copies) and also purchase prints. -Jahna Peloquin

Most people might not think of politics when they think of jazz, but you might be surprised. The American Immigration Council is a non-profit dedicated to educating citizens about the contributions of immigrants and advocating for humane immigration policies and laws that protect immigrants from discrimination and unfairness. Each year they award an immigrant with the American Heritage Award in honor of their contribution to American society. Nachito Herrera, a jazz pianist who is a Minnesota resident that hails from Cuba, won this prestigious award last year for his contributions to jazz. To put things into perspective, the last musician to be awarded this prize was Carlos Santana. Check him out at the Dakota Jazz Club on Saturday night — he is guaranteed not to disappoint. And check out the American Immigration Council and the important work they are doing while you are at it. -Lizzy Shramko

Are you ready to rock! It will not be an evening of polite milquetoast music when powerful local punk duo Birthday Suits host their 7th annual blowout. Birthday Suits’ crazy live presence and onstage antics are legendary; they never fail to put on a seriously loud and kinetic show. Like-minded local garage punk trio the Blind Shake, post-punk five-piece STNNNG and the extreme noise of Seawhores round out a blistering lineup of punk progeny. Your ears are sure to be ringing and you may have a few bruises at the end of the night, but you know…in a good way! -Staff

Celebrate the first Saturday of 2013 by seeing a great night of awesome music at the Hexagon. Slapping Purses headlines the show, and it’s the first show back after many month’s absence. Jason Power’s one-man project is some of the best and weirdest dance music around. With new material in the works, hopefully some will be heard on Saturday night. Opening the night is Hecks from Chicago, which play a sort of angular, dancey, slick punk. Also from Chicago is Mayor Daley, which play a rhythm heavy, noisy math, experimental math rock with yelping vocals. The bill also includes Twin Cities favorites Brute Heart, who’s captivated the city with their intense, minimal violin and string-driven sounds. -Danielle Morris

Gramma’s Boyfriend = Haley Bonar’s latest group. Haley, if you don’t know her, is quite a remarkable damn singer — nominally “country,” but her gritty, soulful voice encompasses quite a lot more than that, though there’s always a certain twang that runs through her material. She ain’t a bad songwriter, either — her stuff is well-constructed and quite damn rockin’ at times, too. Gramma’s Boyfriend is a lot more experimental than her solo stuff — a bit psychedelic at times, electronic-inflected, thrashy and punk in places, and frequently damn weird (in a good way). And bona fide — the lineup is rounded out by the likes of Jeremy Ylvisaker (Alpha Consumer/Andrew Bird), Jacob Hanson (Halloween, Alaska), Luke Anderson (Rogue Valley) and Michael Lewis (Happy Apple, Andrew Bird, Bon Iver). Check out their 2011 release The Human Eye on their Bandcamp page, and peep City of Music’s live performance of them by Dan Huiting below. Opening are Dear Data, the new-ish, atmospheric project fronted by the ethereal-voiced Yasmina Moore-Foster, backed by Al Church, Charlie Ward and Matthew Sandstedt. -Jon Hunt

Hot off the recently-released Spaceaxers, one of Minneapolis’ best heavy bands, Nightosaur, brings the metal to the Icehouse. Their name describes them perfectly: a Jurassic rock sound that is heavy, ferocious and epic. They keep more on the classic side of heavy, sounding like Iron Maiden or earlier Metallica, but with their own twist and turns and ripping guitar solos and equally bad ass lyrics. Their live show also show classic heavy metal swagger with lot of headbanging, showy guitar soloing and the band mantra is “shirts or beards, never both.” Also playing this week’s kickoff of the band’s monthlong residency at Grumpy’s downtown are fellow heavies Earthrise, with future residency support coming from Bisento (1/12), Svoboda (1/19) and Holding Hands (1/26). -Danielle Morris

Children of the ’90s love our nostalgia — wish a heaping dash of irony, of course. Party like it’s 1997 when monthly dance night House Party 97 hits Honey this weekend. It’s all ’90s music, all night from resident DJs Jonathan Ackerman and Dan Berube, who’ll be joined this month by DJ Str8Reppin. It’s going to be so ’90s. -Staff

We’ve been getting down at Soviet Panda’s weekly Saturday night dance party TOO MUCH LOVE since it first debuted five years ago. After an impressive run, it recently bid adieu to the First Ave Mainroom before moving up to the Record Room. But don’t fret — they’ll be throwing one big Mainroom bash every last Saturday of the month. Tonight, Soviet Panda will hold down the one-twos all night long along with special guests. Get there early to partake in 2-4-1s before midnight. -Jahna Peloquin

DJs Teace and Greenery are back this Saturday at Clubhouse Jäger for their monthly residency, Beatsploitation. The pair spin their potent mix of disco, electronica, club rap, heavy funk, dancehall, Miami bass and ’80s and ’90s pop — all on vinyl. Yup, these guys aren’t messing around. Adding to the vibe are retro cult and exploitation films screenings, Jäger’s original woodwork and stained glass windows and the always-friendly barstaff. -Staff

Nostalgic for the ’90s? Hit up the Triple Rock for a competitive game featuring your favorite mustachioed racecar driver. Mario Kart 64 makes a return at this month’s Tipsy Pixels classic video game tournament. Hosted by Nels Lennes from the HUGE Theater and produced the fellas behind the Minnesota Beard-Off, the evening will feature your favorite vintage systems, a bracketed tournament on the big screen, and the opportunity to drink and drive. (sort of). You can cheer on your favorite players, or compete yourself for a chance to win sweet prizes like gaming systems, gift cards, and Triple Rock tickets. You can also look forward to sipping on tasty beers like 8-Bit Ale, courtesy of Tallgrass. -Emily Cain

For a truly unique musical experience, check out the Cedear Cultural Center’s latest Club Commissions project, featuring composer Ted Moore. Inspired by the “Epic of Gilgamesh” (you know, that epic poem from Mesopotamia, possibly one of the earliest surviving works of literature ever), Moore wrote a string quartet with a twist. In addition to the standard two violins, viola and cello, there will also be live audio accompaniment by a SuperCollider, an open source programming language for processing live and recorded sounds, creating one trippy aural experience. If you’re mildly to very confused, you aren’t alone. Just go check it out and be inspired by young creative genius. -Emily Cain

With influences as diverse as Jodorowsky’s Santa Sangre, Ella Fitzgerald and Goblin (the Italian prog-rock band that did multiple soundtracks for some of Dario Argento’s best cult films), we not only want to see Minneapolis-based solo band Littlefoot play at Kitty Cat Club on Sunday, but we kind of want to be Beth Ann McDowell (aka Littlefoot)’s best friend. After living several years in Italy where she dabbled in jazz and progressive rock, McDowell came back to the U.S. and brought her wordly art cult references back with her. In 2012 Littlefoot released the genre-defying LP Symbol of Love, a dark, synth-laden journey through the lo-fi entrails of pop that is everything you would not expect from pop music in the best way possible. Her vocals speak the fragmented language of our generation with inflections of jazz. This Sunday, McDowell will share the stage with locals Dos Taco, Dreamcrusher and Burnet as part of her monthlong Sunday residency at the Kitty Cat Klub. -Lizzy Shramko

Groove freely with the exotic go-go ladies of the Double Deuce to Lady Heat’s rock ‘n’ rolling mix of funk, R&B, garage and old school soul. This month, the Lady Heat DJs — Christy Hunt from local glam-punkers Pink Mink, Danielle Morris and Sara Jean Hanson — are bringing it back to the roots of the genre alongside special guest DJs Paddy Costello of Dillinger Four fame plus Danny Sigelman of Secret Stash Records and Kai Benson — all spinning the best vinyl from their personal collections. “Strip bars and juke joints are where soul was born,” as Lady Heat puts it, so don’t be afraid to cut a rug on the dance floor amidst the burlesque stylings of Tomahawk Tassels with her Two Gingers Go-Go Revue. And be sure to nab plenty of Grainbelt Nordeast — priced at $2, it should leave plenty of extra cash to tip the ladies. -Ryn Gibson